COUNTRY DAY

Southland Times, Issue 23773, 22 March 1939, Page 9

COUNTRY DAY

To The Editor Sir, —The Southland Cricket. Association certainly made a good move when it set aside a date for Country Day cricket matches. February 18 was the day on which the games were to have been played, but unfortunately] because of rain, the day was a “wash-out.” The association then set down March 11 for Country Day, but this also was a “wash-out,” not because of rain this

time, but because the sun shone from a beautifully clear -.sky, making playing conditions perfect. It is therefore hard to understand why the games were never started. It was stated in the paper during the week that some of the country teams were unable to field full sides and that this was partly the reason for the games being postponed. Even if some of the teams could not make the trip, surely the ones that were available could have played their matches and made the most of such a fine Saturday. We have had very few Saturdays this season on which playing conditions have been pleasant, and if the Southland Cricket Association can afford to let such a perfect day as March 11 slip by, then it is very fortunate. As a result of the game.s being put off, I do not suppose there was even a competition match played in Southland that day. If the association had not bothered about a Country Day, all cricketers in Southland would have got in their day’s cricket. When Country Day is established as an annual fixture it will certainly be worth while, but the most will have to be made of the fine weather to make it a success. One would think that on missing the first Country Day on account of rain, the officials would have jumped at the opportunity of getting the games, or at least some of them, played on March 11. Many of the country players must have travelled to Invercargill on that day, and discovered on arriving there, that there was no cricket. Surely this would dampen the enthusiasm of any cricketer. If the Cricket Association wishes to encourage its cricketers and make a success of the fixtures, it must see that all those , fixtures are carried out if that is at all possible, and not postpone games the day before just because the weather is a little unsettled.—Yours, etc , JUST INTERESTED.

March 17, 1939. [A discussion on this subject by members of the Cricket Association is printed in our news columns this morning.]